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Kinds of Web Terms modified by Web Selected AbstractsElectronic information resources in undergraduate education: an exploratory study of opportunities for student learning and independenceBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2002Liz McDowell The fast,growing array of electronic information resources is often viewed as a significant opportunity for change in education, with shifts towards increased student independence in learning. In order for this to happen students need to develop the capability to deal with information. This qualitative interview,based study examines lecturer perspectives on the roles of electronic information resources in undergraduate education. In line with the phenomenographic tradition, three functional categories of electronic information use are proposed. Firstly, the "electronic academic library" offers new opportunities for access to materials but lecturers indicated minimal change to their teaching approaches. Electronic resources were simply added to reading lists and the responsibility for developing students' information skills was seen to rest with librarians. Secondly, lecturers identified changes towards more constructivist approaches to learning, drawing upon new sources of primary data available electronically and described specific teaching approaches to assist students to develop the relevant information handling skills. Finally, lecturers were uncertain about the value of the wider information resources of the Internet/Web for students and were concerned about variable information quality and the possibilities of plagiarism. The research indicates that information use in student learning is a multi,faceted phenomenon. Much current discussion centres on the concept of information literacy which draws together information skills and subject-related skills and knowledge. Students do not merely require generic information skills but a knowledge of the discipline and the capability to handle complex information. Partnerships between academics and librarians are a way forward in helping students to develop as autonomous information users. Not only do the two professional groups offer different expertise, but they also bring different perspectives on the problematic balance between student autonomy and student support. [source] INTEGRATING DYNAMIC SYSTEMS MATERIALS INTO A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM THROUGH INNOVATIVE USE OF WEB-BASED ACQUISITION AND HANDS-ON APPLICATION AND USE OF VIRTUAL GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES Part 6: Design of a Measurement System to Integrate STEM MaterialEXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 4 2008Pete Avitabile First page of article [source] INTEGRATING DYNAMIC SYSTEMS MATERIALS INTO A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM THROUGH INNOVATIVE USE OF WEB-BASED ACQUISITION AND HANDS-ON APPLICATION AND USE OF VIRTUAL GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES Part 5: Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) Assist in Solidifying Analytical MaterialsEXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 3 2008Pete Avitabile First page of article [source] INTEGRATING DYNAMIC SYSTEMS MATERIALS INTO A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM THROUGH INNOVATIVE USE OF WEB-BASED ACQUISITION AND HANDS-ON APPLICATION AND USE OF VIRTUAL GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES Part 4: Alternate Approaches for Teaching Fourier Series ApplicationsEXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 2 2008Pete Avitabile First page of article [source] INTEGRATING DYNAMIC SYSTEMS MATERIALS INTO A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM THROUGH INNOVATIVE USE OF WEB-BASED ACQUISITION AND HANDS-ON APPLICATION AND USE OF VIRTUAL GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES Part 3: Dynamic Systems,Analytical and Experimental System CharacterizationEXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 1 2008Pete Avitabile First page of article [source] INTEGRATING DYNAMIC SYSTEMS MATERIALS INTO A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM THROUGH INNOVATIVE USE OF WEB-BASED ACQUISITION AND HANDS-ON APPLICATION AND USE OF VIRTUAL GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES Part 2: Numerical Difficulties Processing Measured DataEXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 6 2007Pete Avitabile First page of article [source] INTEGRATING DYNAMIC SYSTEMS MATERIALS INTO A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM THROUGH INNOVATIVE USE OF WEB-BASED ACQUISITION AND HANDS-ON APPLICATION AND USE OF VIRTUAL GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES Part 1: Background of Problem and Generic Methodology EmployedEXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 5 2007Pete Avitabile First page of article [source] Europe's 2003 heat wave: a satellite view of impacts and land,atmosphere feedbacksINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Benjamin F. Zaitchik Abstract A combination of satellite imagery, meteorological station data, and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis has been used to explore the spatial and temporal evolution of the 2003 heat wave in France, with focus on understanding the impacts and feedbacks at the land surface. Vegetation was severely affected across the study area, especially in a swath across central France that corresponds to the Western European Broadleaf (WEB) Forests ecological zone. The remotely sensed surface temperature anomaly was also greatest in this zone, peaking at +15.4 °C in August. On a finer spatial scale, both the vegetation and surface temperature anomalies were greater for crops and pastures than for forested lands. The heat wave was also associated with an anomalous surface forcing of air temperature. Relative to other years in record, satellite-derived estimates of surface-sensible heat flux indicate an enhancement of 48,61% (24.0,30.5 W m,2) in WEB during the August heat wave maximum. Longwave radiative heating of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) was enhanced by 10.5 W m,2 in WEB for the same period. The magnitude and spatial structure of this local heating is consistent with models of the late twenty-first century climate in France, which predict a transitional climate zone that will become increasingly affected by summertime drought. Models of future climate also suggest that a soil-moisture feedback on the surface energy balance might exacerbate summertime drought, and these proposed feedback mechanisms were tested using satellite-derived heat budgets. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Food Safety and Regulation: Evaluation of an Online Multimedia CourseJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 4 2005Stephen J. Pintauro ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of, and student attitudes toward, an online Food Safety and Regulation course (WEB) were compared with lecture (LECTURE) and combined lecture/online (COMBINED) courses. All students took identical pre-tests, post-tests, and attitude assessments. No significant differences were detected in pre-test scores. Post-test results for WEB, LECTURE, and COMBINED groups were 65.9±3.02, 67.1±2.62, and 73.5±2.59 (mean±SEM), respectively. After controlling for the pretest, the COMBINED score was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the LECTURE and WEB scores. Some student attitude scores in the LECTURE and COMBINED groups were better than the WEB group. The results indicate that students perform as well in the Web-based course as the lecture-based course and that student performance is maximized by combining online and lecture methods. [source] Candidate's Thesis: Platelet-Activating Factor,Induced Hearing Loss: Mediated by Nitric Oxide?,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 12 2003Chung-Ku Rhee MD Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis Platelet-activating factor (PAF)in middle ear effusion is thought to induce hearing loss. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the mechanism of PAF-induced hearing loss by studying the effects of PAF application on the round window membrane (RWM) with and without PAF-antagonist NO-blocker. Study Design Longitudinal study on randomized guinea pigs using PAF to induce hearing loss. Methods Guinea pigs were divided into four groups: PBS, PAF, PAF-antagonist, and L-NAME. The PBS group received phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and the PAF groups received 10, 20, and 40 ,g of PAF soaked into gelfoam and placed on the RWM. PAF-antagonist (WEB 2170) and NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine-methylester (L-NAME) were injected intraperitoneally prior to PAF 20 ,g application on the RWM. The following three tests were performed on each animal group: Hearing was tested with an auditory brainstem response (ABR) test over 24 hours. At the end of 24 hours, cochlear hair cells were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and immunohistochemistry was carried out on the cochlea to test the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Results The PAF group developed significant elevation of ABR threshold and cochlear hair cell damage in the SEM group as compared with the PBS control group. The PAF-antagonist (WEB 2170) and the L-NAME groups did not show significant elevation of ABR threshold and cochlear hair cell damage compared with the group administered PAF 20 ,g, but in the PAF-antagonist group, the elevation of ABR threshold was significant compared with that of the PBS control group, whereas it was not significant compared with the PBS group in the L-NAME group. Strong expression of iNOS on cochlea was observed in the PAF group and lighter expression was seen in PBS, WEB 2170, and L-NAME groups. Conclusions This study demonstrated that PAF placed on the RWM induced hearing loss and cochlear hair cell damage. The PAF-antagonists and L-NAME prevented the PAF-induced hearing loss and inhibited iNOS expression in the cochlea. These findings suggest that the PAF-induced hearing loss caused by cochlear hair cell damage may have been mediated by NO. PAF-antagonists and L-NAME may have future therapeutic implications in preventing sensorineural hearing loss associated with chronic otitis media. The results of this study have significant potential clinical application. [source] A RULE-BASED APPROACH FOR SEMANTIC ANNOTATION EVOLUTIONCOMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 3 2007P.-H. Luong An approach for managing knowledge in an organization in the new infrastructure of Semantic Web consists of building a corporate semantic web (CSW). The main components of a CSW are (i) evolving resources distributed over an intranet and indexed using (ii) semantic annotations expressed with the vocabulary provided by (iii) a shared ontology. However, changes in the operating environment may lead to some inconsistencies in the system and they result in need of modifications of the CSW components. These changes need to be evolved and well managed. In this paper we present a rule-based approach allowing us to detect and correct semantic annotation inconsistencies. This rule-based approach is implemented in the CoSWEM system enabling to manage the evolution of such a CSW, especially to address the evolution of semantic annotations when its underlying ontologies change. [source] SEARCHING FOR EXPLANATORY WEB PAGES USING AUTOMATIC QUERY EXPANSIONCOMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 1 2007Manabu Tauchi When one tries to use the Web as a dictionary or encyclopedia, entering some single term into a search engine, the highly ranked pages in the result can include irrelevant or useless sites. The problem is that single-term queries, if taken literally, underspecify the type of page the user wants. For such problems automatic query expansion, also known as pseudo-feedback, is often effective. In this method the top n documents returned by an initial retrieval are used to provide terms for a second retrieval. This paper contributes, first, new normalization techniques for query expansion, and second, a new way of computing the similarity between an expanded query and a document, the "local relevance density" metric, which complements the standard vector product metric. Both of these techniques are shown to be useful for single-term queries, in Japanese, in experiments done over the World Wide Web in early 2001. [source] BUILDING A DATA-MINING GRID FOR MULTIPLE HUMAN BRAIN DATA ANALYSISCOMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 2 2005Ning Zhong E-science is about global collaboration in key areas of science such as cognitive science and brain science, and the next generation of infrastructure such as the Wisdom Web and Knowledge Grids. As a case study, we investigate human multiperception mechanism by cooperatively using various psychological experiments, physiological measurements, and data mining techniques for developing artificial systems which match human ability in specific aspects. In particular, we observe fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and EEG (electroencephalogram) brain activations from the viewpoint of peculiarity oriented mining and propose a way of peculiarity oriented mining for knowledge discovery in multiple human brain data. Based on such experience and needs, we concentrate on the architectural aspect of a brain-informatics portal from the perspective of the Wisdom Web and Knowledge Grids. We describe how to build a data-mining grid on the Wisdom Web for multiaspect human brain data analysis. The proposed methodology attempts to change the perspective of cognitive scientists from a single type of experimental data analysis toward a holistic view at a long-term, global field of vision. [source] Integrating Web-Based Documents, Shared Knowledge Bases, and Information Retrieval for User HelpCOMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 1 2000Doug Skuce We describe a prototype system, IKARUS, with which we investigated the potential of integrating web-based documents, shared knowledge bases, and information retrieval for improving knowledge storage and retrieval. As an example, we discuss how to implement both a user manual and an online help system as one system. The following technologies are combined: a web-based design, a frame-based knowledge engine, use of an advanced full-text search engine, and simple techniques to control terminology. We have combined graphical browsing with several unusual forms of text retrieval,for example, to the sentence and paragraph level. [source] Effective page refresh policyCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2007Kai Gao Abstract Web pages are created or updated randomly. As for a search engine, keeping up with the evolving Web is necessary. But previous studies have shown the crawler's refresh ability is limited because it is not easy to detect the change instantly, especially when the resources are limited. This article concerns modeling on an effective Web page refresh policy and finding the refresh interval with minimum total waiting time. The major concern is how to model the change and which part should be updated more often. Toward this goal, the Poisson process is used to model the process. Further, the relevance is also used to adjust the process, and the probability on some sites is higher than others so these sites will be given more opportunities to be updated. It is essential when the bandwidth is not wide enough or the resource is limited. The experimental results validate the feasibility of the approach. On the basis of the above works, an educational search engine has been developed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 14: 240,247, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20155 [source] A web-based tool for control engineering teachingCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2006J. Albino Méndez Abstract In this article a new tool for control engineering teaching is presented. The tool was implemented using Java applets and is freely accessible through Web. It allows the analysis and simulation of linear control systems and was created to complement the theoretical lectures in basic control engineering courses. The article is not only centered in the description of the tool but also in the methodology to use it and its evaluation in an electrical engineering degree. Two practical problems are included in the manuscript to illustrate the use of the main functions implemented. The developed web-based tool can be accessed through the link http://www.controlweb.cyc.ull.es. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 14: 178,187, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20080 [source] The Dow Chemical Project: Creating a web-based interface to a dynamic simulationCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 4 2005K. Kuriyan Abstract In this study we present a Web-based interface to a dynamic simulation. The simulation is based on an emulsion polymerization process operated by the Dow Chemical Company. We also describe the software architecture that allows simulation updates to be transmitted dynamically across a network, from a server-based simulation to a Web-based client. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 13: 250,256, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20049 [source] Experimenting with a computer-mediated collaborative interaction model to support engineering coursesCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2004David A. Fuller Abstract Many of the engineering education lecture courses are taught only with the support of a board or transparencies. In both cases, the students have to copy the material passed in class, including additional annotations and comments. We performed a controlled experiment to measure the impact of the insertion of a computer mediated collaborative interaction model to support the teaching/learning process in such scenarios, using a Web-based computer application. Our experiment was done during two consecutive semesters of a First Year Programming Engineering course, with 447 enrolled students where 234 students were surveyed. In this paper, we describe the design and execution of the experiment, and show the obtained results. Based on our results, we conclude that there are advantages of using a collaborative interaction model supported by a collaborative software tool in an Engineering course such as the experimented. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 12: 175,188, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20012 [source] Environment for engineering design, analysis, and simulation for education using MATLAB via the World Wide Web.COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2002Abstract In Part II of this paper, we present representative examples that demonstrate the capabilities and features of the developed education environment that allows one to simulate in real time engineering systems utilizing the power of MATLAB through a web browser interface. The web-based graphical user interface (GUI) provides the means for the user to input system parameters and the display of the analysis results. The examples presented demonstrate the required clarity of the developed GUI, and the nature and type of the results returned to the web browser of the user in real time. This environment has the capability to return to the user textual, graphical, pictorial, and animation related material. The user has the option to download analysis results in any of the generated forms to the client computer. This work demonstrates the ease of implementation and advantages of using this technology to aid in classroom instruction. Users with Internet can access the developed simulation modules at http://zodhia.uta.edu/development. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 10: 109,120, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.10019 [source] Interactive Web-based package for computer-aided learning of structural behaviorCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2002X. F. Yuan Abstract This paper presents an innovative Web-based package named CALSB for computer-aided learning of structural behavior. The package was designed to be widely accessible through the Internet, user-friendly by the automation of many input functions and the extensive use of cursor movements, and dynamically interactive by linking all input and output data to a single graphical display on the screen. The package includes an analysis engine based on the matrix stiffness method, so the response of any two-dimensional skeletal structure can be predicted and graphically displayed. The package thus provides a virtual laboratory environment in which the user can "build and test" two-dimensional skeletal structures of unlimited choices to enhance his understanding of structural behavior. In addition, the package includes two other innovative features, structural games and paradoxes. The structural games in the package represent perhaps the first attempt at intentionally combining the learning of structural behavior with joy and excitement, while the structural paradoxes provide a stimulating environment conducive for the development of creative problem solving skills of the user. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 10: 121,136, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.10020 [source] Web-based Thermodynamics Tables WizardCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2002C. C. Ngo Abstract This paper presents the Web-based Thermodynamics Tables Wizard and how it can be used for online courses or web-teaching to accommodate the need of students at different levels in looking up thermodynamics properties. It can be used as a stand-alone study aid or an add-on component for any online Thermodynamics course. The implementation of this Web-based module has greatly enhanced the learning experience of students in the study of Thermodynamics. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 10: 137,143, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.10022 [source] Cross-institutional assessment: Development and implementation of the On-line Student Survey SystemCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 2 2002Raymond Hoare Abstract As ABET has increased the need for routine student assessments, engineering faculty are faced with the problem of doing this in an efficient manner that minimizes the time required to conduct, tabulate, and analyze the requisite surveys. To meet this need, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed the On-line Student Survey System (OS3) to facilitate EC 2000 assessment and cross-institutional benchmarking. OS3 allows multiple engineering schools to conduct customized, routine program evaluations using Web-based surveys specifically designed to meet EC 2000 objectives. Since its inception, seven engineering schools have adopted OS3. This article provides an overview of the system, a des-cription of its survey instruments, and an evaluation of the system. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 10: 88,97, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com.); DOI 10.1002/cae.10013 [source] Virtual reality simulations in Web-based science educationCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 1 2002Young-Suk Shin Abstract This article presents the educational possibilities of Web-based science education using a desktop virtual reality (VR) system. A Web site devoted to science education for middle school students has been designed and developed in the areas of earth sciences: meteorology, geophysics, geology, oceanography, and astronomy. Learners can establish by themselves the pace of their lessons using learning contents considered learner level and they can experiment in real time with the concepts they have learned, interacting with VR environments that we provide. A VR simulation program developed has been evaluated with a questionnaire from learners after learning freely on the Web. This study shows that Web-based science education using VR can be effectively used as a virtual class. When we consider the rapid development of VR technology and lowering of cost, the study can construct more immersive environments for the education in the near future. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 10: 18,25, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com.); DOI 10.1002/cae.10014 [source] Development of a web-based integrated manufacturing laboratoryCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 4 2001Samuel H. Huang Abstract The internet is dramatically changing the ways we learn and teach, as well as the way we interact as a society. The "same time, same place, only some people" traditional instructional method is giving way to "anytime, anyplace, anybody" educational models. This paper deals with the development of a Web-based integrated manufacturing laboratory (WIML), which represents a virtual mini-manufacturing corporation, whose aim is to support core manufacturing curriculum and to provide students with hands-on experience on various manufacturing functions and effective use of manufacturing software tools. Key components of the WIML include a manufacturing tutor, a data repository, message boards, customization pages, and links to the world-wide web. The WIML not only can stimulate students' interest in related manufacturing courses but also allow them to strengthen their computer skills and develop ability to work as a team. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 9: 228,237, 2001; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com.); DOI 10.1002/cae.10006 [source] Air Products hydrogen liquefaction project: Building a Web-based simulation of an industrial processCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2001K. Kuriyan Abstract In this paper we present a Web-based simulation drawn from a hydrogen liquefaction process operated by Air Products. We describe the software architecture that connects Web-based clients to a simulation server and discuss some implementation issues. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 9: 180,191, 2001 [source] SVG Linearization and AccessibilityCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 4 2002Ivan Herman Abstract The usage of SVG (Scaleable Vector Graphics) creates new possibilities as well as new challenges for theaccessibility of Web sites. This paper presents a metadata vocabulary to describe the information content ofan SVG file geared towards accessibility. When used with a suitable tool, this metadata description can helpin generating a textual ("linear") version of the content, which can be used for users with disabilities or withnon-visual devices. Although this paper concentrates on SVG, i.e. on graphics on the Web, the metadata approach and vocabularypresented below can be applied in relation to other technologies, too. Indeed, accessibility issues have a muchwider significance, and have an effect on areas like CAD, cartography, or information visualization. Hence, theexperiences of the work presented below may also be useful for practitioners in other areas. ACM CSS: I.3.4 Graphics Utilities,Graphics Packages, I.3.6 Methodology and Techniques,Graphics datastructures and data types, Standards, K.4.2 Social Issues,Assistive technologies for persons with disabilities [source] A flexible content repository to enable a peer-to-peer-based wikiCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 7 2010Udo Bartlang Abstract Wikis,being major applications of the Web 2.0,are used for a large number of purposes, such as encyclopedias, project documentation, and coordination, both in open communities and in enterprises. At the application level, users are targeted as both consumers and producers of dynamic content. Yet, this kind of peer-to-peer (P2P) principle is not used at the technical level being still dominated by traditional client,server architectures. What lacks is a generic platform that combines the scalability of the P2P approach with, for example, a wiki's requirements for consistent content management in a highly concurrent environment. This paper presents a flexible content repository system that is intended to close the gap by using a hybrid P2P overlay to support scalable, fault-tolerant, consistent, and efficient data operations for the dynamic content of wikis. On the one hand, this paper introduces the generic, overall architecture of the content repository. On the other hand, it describes the major building blocks to enable P2P data management at the system's persistent storage layer, and how these may be used to implement a P2P-based wiki application: (i) a P2P back-end administrates a wiki's actual content resources. (ii) On top, P2P service groups act as indexing groups to implement a wiki's search index. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A standards-based Grid resource brokering service supporting advance reservations, coallocation, and cross-Grid interoperabilityCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 18 2009Erik Elmroth Abstract The problem of Grid-middleware interoperability is addressed by the design and analysis of a feature-rich, standards-based framework for all-to-all cross-middleware job submission. The architecture is designed with focus on generality and flexibility and builds on extensive use, internally and externally, of (proposed) Web and Grid services standards such as WSRF, JSDL, GLUE, and WS-Agreement. The external use provides the foundation for easy integration into specific middlewares, which is performed by the design of a small set of plugins for each middleware. Currently, plugins are provided for integration into Globus Toolkit 4 and NorduGrid/ARC. The internal use of standard formats facilitates customization of the job submission service by replacement of custom components for performing specific well-defined tasks. Most importantly, this enables the easy replacement of resource selection algorithms by algorithms that address the specific needs of a particular Grid environment and job submission scenario. By default, the service implements a decentralized brokering policy, striving to optimize the performance for the individual user by minimizing the response time for each job submitted. The algorithms in our implementation perform resource selection based on performance predictions, and provide support for advance reservations as well as coallocation of multiple resources for coordinated use. The performance of the system is analyzed with focus on overall service throughput (up to over 250 jobs per min) and individual job submission response time (down to under 1,s). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Using Web 2.0 for scientific applications and scientific communitiesCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 5 2009Marlon E. Pierce Abstract Web 2.0 approaches are revolutionizing the Internet, blurring lines between developers and users and enabling collaboration and social networks that scale into the millions of users. As discussed in our previous work, the core technologies of Web 2.0 effectively define a comprehensive distributed computing environment that parallels many of the more complicated service-oriented systems such as Web service and Grid service architectures. In this paper we build upon this previous work to discuss the applications of Web 2.0 approaches to four different scenarios: client-side JavaScript libraries for building and composing Grid services; integrating server-side portlets with ,rich client' AJAX tools and Web services for analyzing Global Positioning System data; building and analyzing folksonomies of scientific user communities through social bookmarking; and applying microformats and GeoRSS to problems in scientific metadata description and delivery. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Grids challenged by a Web 2.0 and multicore sandwichCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 3 2009Geoffrey Fox Abstract We discuss the application of Web 2.0 to support scientific research (e-Science) and related ,e-more or less anything' applications. Web 2.0 offers interesting technical approaches (protocols, message formats, and programming tools) to build core e-infrastructure (cyberinfrastructure) as well as many interesting services (Facebook, YouTube, Amazon S3/EC2, and Google maps) that can add value to e-infrastructure projects. We discuss why some of the original Grid goals of linking the world's computer systems may not be so relevant today and that interoperability is needed at the data and not always at the infrastructure level. Web 2.0 may also support Parallel Programming 2.0,a better parallel computing software environment motivated by the need to run commodity applications on multicore chips. A ,Grid on the chip' will be a common use of future chips with tens or hundreds of cores. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] |